Top 10 Anime Theme Songs

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52 comments Oct 29, 2010  |   Posted by in Top 10 Lists

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Since opening the website in early 2009, I have reviewed over 100 anime materials and have counted down the most violent scenes, mecha, and Studio Ghibli productions. It’s now time to take a look at another integral part that sets anime apart, the music behind it. Making a top 10 list of anime openings isn’t an easy task. I have judges these based on numerous factors that include, song choice, animation, how it pertains to the series itself, and the harmony between the music and source material. Let’s start off the list with the series that BARELY made it off our list, in fact, it was so close I have garnered it an honorable mention. Let’s countdown the Top 10 Anime theme songs of all-time:


Now, on to the countdown starting with the #10 pick:











That’s the list! Did you favorite make the list? Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts and/or your own Top 10 list.



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  • http://univarn.blogspot.com Univarn

    I think Cowboy Bebop gets put on these lists for just being so influential. If one was to take the number of animes they have tried to mimic its style, plot setup, and structure/presentation you’d be caught in an infinite hole.

    Samurai Champloo is one of the very few animes I truly enjoyed just sitting through each time and never felt a need to fast forward. I was also quite keen on the opening to Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and the various Soul Eater openings.

    Great list! As always opening me up to things I wouldn’t have seen otherwise (just goes to show how little I really get to watch anime)

  • http://glothelegend.wordpress.com Glo

    Honestly, this could be the best top 10 OP listing I’ve ever seen…..I’m very happy you included Samarai Champloo, and Lucky Star. The one thing thats missing is some Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei OPs….they’re awesome.

  • http://www.goseetalk.com Marc

    Glad to see Cowboy Bebop here even if you consider it an honorable mention. But huge points for adding Wolf’s Rain (man I love that Stray song)!

    Though I expected to see Kenshin and Outlaw Star I still like your list. I imagine it would have been tough to narrow it down as you did.

    Lastly, on a personal note, I like the Escaflowne opening, really really love GTO (because of L’Arc), am a fan of the short lived FLCL and my honorable mentions would be Goldenboy credits for all it’s 80′s glory and Ramna 1/2 and Jube-Chan even if it is cheesy and kid friendly.

    Well done!

  • http://japancinema.net Marcello

    Thank you all for the feedback, it is incredibly hard to narrow these lists down sometimes. Goldenboy is such an underrated piece of anime and I completely forgot how much I loved it. Thanks for the reminder!

  • signorRossi

    Hmm, from your list GitS-SAC – Inner Universe, Ergo Proxy – Paranoid Android and Cowboy Bebop – Tank would make it into my list, with Wolfs Rain – Stray, Samurai Champloo – Battle Cry and Last Exile – Cloud Age Symphony being in my list for #11 to #20, so your list isn’t that bad after all. ;)
    Funnily making a top ten of OPs feels kinda hard to me, while I almost have no problems making top ten of EDs.
    Anyway, Inner Universe would also be my #1 at the moment, but I think the video you linked had almost no scenes of the first GitS season, while the actual OP video fits perfectly the music.

  • http://www.filmforager.com Alex

    The Cowboy Bebop theme is probably my favorite theme song of any show, not just anime, so that would definitely be my number one! I dig the Samurai Champloo theme as well, and what about FLCL? “Ride on a Shooting Star” is such a fun song! I also really like the theme used in the first part of Soul Eater- not sure what it’s called, and they changed it about 15 episodes in.

  • http://violet-box.blogspot.com/ Matthew

    The Higurashi When They Cry theme is by far my personal favorite from this list, though I haven’t had the opportunity to see the anime yet. I think I’ll just have to do something about that.

  • Shawn

    Great list all hof anime songs.I would have added euruka 7,hotd,steamboy,naruto and an old classic called nadia!! :)

  • http://tsugamu.blogspot.com Tsugamu

    em…If it’s about anime osts, never forget some legendary animes like; Rurouni Kenshin, Dragon Ball, Sailormoon, Saint Seiya, even Doraemon! :D

    In my country Indonesia, most of everyone from kids to adult DOESN’T NOT know these shows…..

  • Shinigami

    oke great website and all but, in this top 10 I don’t see the opening of Elfen lied-lilium that song makes elfen lied what it is some creepyness..but that’s just my opinion. and I miss well accually the hole soundtrack of Fullmetal Alchemist and the composer of tha akira senju he made a fantastic soundtrack for fullmetal alchemist and also brotherhood. but then again that is my opinion..and as last the opening theme of Death-Note is also one i missed..

  • Stpeterswolf

    Great list i enjoyed this alot. There were some i had suprisingly not even heard, although i would like to have seen a few others on this list wondering where Tabi no Tochu by Natsumi Kiyoura from Spice and Wolf, Romantic Summer by Sun&Lunar from Seto no Hanayome, and Kimi, Meguru, Boku by Notohiru Hata from Itazura na Kiss would have appeared on your list. Also is the beggining of the Eden of the East theme also used in Clannad not as a theme but throughout the anime?

  • noclafyrG

    Cowboy Bebop has, without a doubt, the best music ever :)

  • AnimeSound

    Well I would at least expect to see Fullmetal Alchemist OST beacause of it’s complex and very touching and influential orchestrated sound. It was a megalith in production and it was also recorded with the Moscow Philarmonic Orchestra. I believe that the list is ok but when reviewing OST’s there should be more criterias in the research. There is certainly not “the best” in music because everyone likes/feels music differently especially when reviewing music from motion picture which had an impact in ourselfs. Thanx for the review cause I myself found interest in other soundtracks from this list.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZKG3HEZNDOKBSEM3L2YDYBYFVY Masta

    Cowboy Bebop “Real Folk Blues” or “Whole OST” – 70′s jazz, rock, and funk throwback
    Beck “Whole OST” – throwback to rock genre like jimmi hendrix
    Rahxephon “Garden of Everything” or “Whole OST”
    Escaflowne the Movie “Whole OST”
    Big O “Apologine – Bleecker St.” or “Whole OST” – throwback to batman or james bond

  • Joe M. Ama

    What about Ai Wo Torimodose! from Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) !?

  • IMAVAMPIRE

    Cowboy Bebop was, and is the best anime EVER! Hellsing should be here >.>

  • Kevin

    Man, if those were the top 10 I’d hate to see the bottom. Cowboy Bebop’s theme is lightyears ahead of every single one of those.

  • Kevin

    Man, if those were the top 10 I’d hate to see the bottom. Cowboy Bebop’s theme is lightyears ahead of every single one of those.

  • http://twitter.com/Tifa Tifa Onela Yandere

    Lilium from Elfen Lied.

  • http://twitter.com/Tifa Tifa Onela Yandere

    This I can also agree with. Zetsubou has some of the most amazing music in general. <3

  • http://www.facebook.com/rabia.farooqi Rabia Farooqi

    Hey..! I Don’t see THE Naruto Theme Song in it! :O

  • http://www.facebook.com/rabia.farooqi Rabia Farooqi

    Hey..! I Don’t see THE Naruto Theme Song in it! :O

  • Anonymous

    Only two of my top ten anime opening made it (Samurai Champloo and Last Exile). I am shocked to not see series like Tenjou Tenge, Capeta, Hajime No Ippo, and Tokyo Tribe 2 on here.

    Ah well.

  • Ema Toyama

    that was insane

  • geek

    What about Deathnote?  They should of been on the list 

  • Inhumanundead

    HEY! Where’s Trigun?

  • Gino

     You have shit tier taste all these song are boring and not anime style at all.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Devin-Morris/1710047178 Devin Morris

    Agreed loved trigun but don’t know most of these and i agree on gits:sac theme is awesome.

  • Jsmorganny

    the songs for blue drop are soooooo beautiful

  • Amkuladi

    inner universe, the opening of ghost in the shell is so….unique!!!!!!!!111

  • Dedalu_perkasa

    For me, the best till now is Toki Wo Kizamu Uta by Lia in CLannad Afterstory..

  • http://www.best-hostings.in/ Best web Hosting

    Thanks for listing this top 10 animated songs. All songs were animated in the great way.

  • http://www.seo-forum.in/ best seo forums

     Good post. keep updating more and more..

  • Anonymous

    to my opinion the theme song of Higurashi is the best in this list :)

  • Remestimo

    No love for the Eva theme?

  • philipmarie

    HOW ON EARTH DID CRUEL ANGELS THESIS FROM NEON GENESIS EVANGELION NOT MAKE THIS LIST?!!!!?!!!!!

  • Kanalet

    I have to disagree with this list. Of course everyone’s personal lists are going to be different, but… I myself would have included one from FMA, and Rurouni Kenshin, Death Note, perhaps one from Inuyasha. I was quite surprised that Lucky Star made your list. I’m really not fond of that one at all. I’ve always thought something a little more memorable should make the list. Like Again by Yui used in FMA: Brotherhood.

  • Tapsrocks78

    hajimari no kaze

  • JImmy

    You missed the theme song from Legend of the legendary heroes, that’s an awesome track, Elfen lied too!

  • Alyssa Erika Ortaleza

    yeah where is it?

  • Leaveitalone

    K-ON Sucks u guys fucked
    Soul eater haves awesome

  • BrandonB

    Poltergeist from Ghost Hound would diffidently make my list.

  • VeryGoodAnimeSong

    what about the Nabari No Ou Theme song Crawl it should be there its awsome

  • tngxtru3sk1ll

    Nice job on the list I love the soundtrack from cowboy bebop and samurai champloo, but I fell yasashi yoake should have been in there, from .hack//sign.

  • http://www.facebook.com/piter.lim.5264 Piter Lim

    i think.. you should put shinryaku ika musume high powered as one of
    top anime..

  • Recca

    Nice post. I think Nanka Shiawase deserves a spot.

  • http://www.facebook.com/grevlis G Marie Christi

    Soul Eater..>.>

  • Brady

    i agree…….as much as i’m glad nothing mainstream got picked i personally don’t like any of these very much and the cowboy bebop one by past all of those by far and i’m not even extremely fond of it. i liked needless, gurren laggan, love hina, Ah! my goddess, Dream Eater Merry, rosario plus vampire (season II), Elfen Lied, trinity blood and fairy tails opening most. (no real order.)

  • yeah

    Flame of Recca?? Annyone??

  • Tony Do

    One Piece – “We are”

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